Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mating ❯ Discussions with Mates ( Chapter 18 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"The Mating"

Disclaimer- See chapter one. Was true then, and it's true now, I don't own them.

AN: Okay, folks, I'd like some feedback on this one. I did a little something different and I'd like your opinions on how I handled the lemon, please? Thanks!

Chapter 18- Discussions between Mates

Kurama stirred pleasently out of his drowsing state. He remembered everything, including Keiko getting youko-ish. He wasn't sure exactly how long it would take for Keiko to transform, but for her eyes to have flecks of gold in them, meant that her transformation was going to be quick. A month and a half at the outside.

Keiko stirred beside him, opening her eyes.

Kurama immediately turned to her, looking closely at her eyes. There were still a few flecks of gold within the depths of her eyes. "Keiko, we need to talk."

"I'm starting to get frightened, Kurama. What's happening to me?" Keiko asked, lying facing Kurama.

Kurama looked into the rest of her face. Her courage was still present, it was just being overshadowed. He softly replied, "I know you are, Keiko. I'm not sure how much I can alleviate that fear, either. You are changing more rapidly than we had previously thought and it will continue to cause some changes as the kitsune is taking over. Such as ealier. A youko must mate once daily, unless there is something wrong with the mate, whether it be injury, or just an advanced stage of pregnancy. Hence why you literally needed me earlier. Your eyes have the same golden flecks that mine can take on, when I cannot control my demon side."

"So, how long do we have?" Keiko asked. "How long can we stay in the Ningenkai before we have to move to the Makai?" She clutched at him.

"If I train you in the kitsune ability of illusion, we can finish out the school year." Kurama heard her gasp and held her gently within his arms, hoping she would not get hysterical. While he knew that she was not normally prone to hysteria, this was an extreme case and he had seen her go catatonic once.

Keiko pulled away from his shoulder, looking into deadly serious eyes and knew that he was telling her the absolute truth. She also saw no fear present, just some worries that she knew were fleeting. "So, if we are lucky, we have two months. Well, lucky and you teaching me illusions. When can we start?"

Kurama smiled, seeing her facing this as bravely as she had faced anything else that had ever tried to stand up to her. "We shall start whenever you show signs of the ability. It is one of the basic kitsune abilities, after all. It should be coming in very soon now."

Keiko took a deep breath, "So, if we have two months, with illusions, how long without illusions?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, and from the look on Kurama's face, she wasn't sure he wanted to answer her.

Kurama looked away. "We have a month, maybe a month and a half on the outside before you are full youko." He quietly told her, watching her face as an expression of shock crossed it.

"That soon?"

He nodded. "Yes, the journal's surface is completely false data, the code underneath is the real information. It's very cleverly written in several ancient dialects, all of which have the same letters, just different meanings and different pronunciations to the information. While all the information is on demons and so some of the details may be out of place, I am also a demon, so most of the information is still good. Earlier, you went complete vixen on me, action wise, anyway. I have not felt anything so vital in all my years."

Keiko shook her head, as if to clear it. "So, how is this going to work?"

"Why don't we get dressed and head downstairs. I think we have a number of people down there who will be wanting this information as well. Amoung which are Hiei, Shizuru, Yukina and Kuwabara. Yusuke, if he mates with Botan, he will have a whole different set of problems to deal with, maybe."

Keiko was pulled up short in shock. "Yusuke, and Botan? When did this occur?"

Kurama looked at her, "You honestly did not know? I think it's always been there, just Botan's been pulled in two different directions. She loves them both, Koenma and Yusuke. Now she's going to have to get over Koenma, and after the way she reacted, Yusuke won't be pleased if Koenma tries to hold on to her. He is very loyal to his friends, one reason why Hiei and I are still loyal to him, even though we are not still on the team officially."

"Is that why Botan ran straight to Yusuke? I wondered about that." Keiko asked. The two took one look at each other and decided they should get dressed. Keiko pulled out one of the loose, layered dresses, this one all rose shades and put on a pair of sandals. She forwent all undergarments.

"You become even more youko-ish by the minute, it seems. I as well, dispise constricting clothing. I've learned to tolerate it, but there are times when one just has to be oneself. Next time, remind me to buy you some other things. I'll have you in a whole new wardrobe by the time we're done." Kurama chuckled at her blush when she realized that he knew just which clothing items she left out. He had changed into a loose chinese style outfit with a coverlet on it, belted around his midsection.

The two hurried downstairs where they were greeted by an empty house. Then, Kurama heard voices coming from out back. There was everyone.

Shizuru noticed them come out. "Well, well, if it isn't our two lovebirds. Welcome back to the rest of the world."

Hiei raised his brow at her wording, but didn't disagree. Niether of his races needed sex every day, even mated. The koorime had sex for two primary reasons, to mate and to reproduce, the fire half could have sex any time they wanted to, but didn't have to take advantage of that, not like a youko. Demon animals were different from the regular demons in a few ways and that was a key difference. Any demon worth their salt knew them. ~You get any noisier, Fox, and I'm putting a permanent ward of silence around that room of yours.~

"Seriously, Hiei, I don't think that will be necessary, not after what just happened." This alarmed them all, and even brought Botan out of her depression.

Keiko just looked at everyone she considered to be a friend and wanted to disappear. As it was, she burrowed under her mate's arm and made herself as small as she could.

"Okay, Kurama, what did you do to Keiko! Spit it out, I know Keiko, and this isn't like her at all!" Yusuke was pissed. Keiko was never timid or shy.

Keiko's anger boiled over, "Yusuke Urameshi! How dare you accuse Kurama! My mate has done nothing to me, other than mating with me! I'm just having a tough time dealing with some of this right now!"

Yusuke grinned at the show of spirit. At least Keiko was still there. Though he worried when she went right back to the being she had been before the outburst.

Kurama looked at Yusuke. "I know that Keiko isn't quite behaving like her normal self, and part of it is my fault, but only because I did mate with her." He glanced around at the others present, immediately spotting who would possibly be causing the vixen reaction within Keiko. His stepfather and stepbrother. "You see, we don't have four months anymore. Our timeline has been sped up. Keiko's responses are becoming that of a female kitsune, a vixen. Around their pack, they are normal, around those they don't know very well, or are nervous around, they hide behind their mates, if they have one, or if they don't and are alone, then they learn to override those instincts. Keiko is only now acquiring them, so it will be very difficult for her to react normally until she learns how to control them."

Keiko looked up at him. "Is that what's wrong with me?"

Hiei looked over, "It is not anything wrong, Keiko, it is more that you are acquiring a whole set of inborn responses, and must control them. We will all help as we can."

"Whoa! Hiei's offering help?" Kuwabara asked incredulously.

Yukina shushed him with a small giggle. "Kazuma! Quit antagonizing my brother."

Shiori couldn't believe just how close knit these eight seemed to be. She knew they could react as one during a situation, in spite of the argument between Hiei and the young man called Kuwabara, save for Yukina.

Genkai cut to the chase. "You said the timetable was sped up, how long do we have?"

Kurama dropped the bombshell with no preamble. "If we are lucky, a month and a half before Keiko is full youko." He looked at the suddenly completely silent tableau with one of the most serious looks on his face that anyone had ever seen. "We keep forgetting just how much of a power jump S-class is from A-class. If I recall the chart correctly, it is an exponential jump between the power levels. And your power level determines just how strong your mate becomes, and how quickly they transform. If I am correct, Keiko may border my own S-class when she finally transforms."

Kuwabara raised his brows. He knew that his power level was ranked into the A-class, only he wasn't a demon.

Yukina delicately lifted her voice, "What if," She blushed furiously, "Say, Kazuma and I-" She could not bring herself to finish the question, turning beet red and hiding her face within Kuwabara's chest.

Hiei looked at his sister carefully, "You are considering it, Yukina, are you not?"

Yukina nodded. "Yes, brother, I am. I am sorry if my choice does not meet your approval."

Hiei smiled gently, coming over to the two of them and turned her head to look at him. "If you are happy, that is all I ask." As he watched her face light up in joy, he added, "That is all I have ever wished for you." He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Be happy." He looked up at Kuwabara, "If you hurt her, you are dead. I am trusting you to protect her. Kurama, can he see any major changes?"

Kurama watched the whole scene with a smile, and could feel Keiko's satisfaction with the two through their bond. "From what I read, no drop in power level, I think, anyway. The two are equals, both A-class, just one's human. He should retain his own abilities, as well as gain Yukina's race. I don't think there was ever a male koorime before you, Hiei, so this should be interesting."

Yukina spoke up, "But I'm not a true koorime, any more than my brother is a true fire apparition. We are fraternal twins, and have a little of both in us, just one side is dominant in one and vice versa."

Hiei nodded, supporting his sister's story. "We are both Forbidden children of the Koorime, Yukina was almost accepted amoung them, but ultimately she, too, left."

"Well, children," Genkai said, "All's well that ends better, but I think we've all got enough food for thought. Kuwabara, I think you'll be staying at the temple with Yukina and I tonight. Botan, you'll be okay over at Yusuke's, right?"

Botan nodded. It wasn't as if she had never seen how messy his place was anyway. "Yes, I should be fine." She replied listlessly.

Yusuke looked at Botan worriedly. This wasn't like her. She was far more depressed than he had originally thought. He wondered what he could do to cheer her up. He knew that his mother wouldn't be able to help. She had left a message that said she was going to a party and would be back in a couple of days. He wondered just how long sometimes his mother could go on these self-destruct binges before she succeeded. As much as he hid it, he did love his mother and didn't want her to die, not like that. He wondered if taking her to his castle would help. She'd still have a human life span, but at least she wouldn't self-destruct. "Come on, Botan, let's get you to my place. Got a couple of questions for you." He hoped they would take her mind off of her own problems for now, anyway.

Shizuru looked at Hiei. "I have some questions for you, especially since you're S-class as well, come on and follow me."

Hiei went over to Shizuru. "I follow no one. I will walk beside you, however."

Shizuru shrugged, "Whatever." She started when he walked beside her and took her arm, carefully guiding her.

"You wish to talk, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then come. I wish to show you someplace." Hiei told her.

Shizuru wondered if she'd ever figure out this demon. "Okay. But I really need to talk to you."

"I know." Hiei picked her up easily and flitted out of the garden.

"Whoa, when Hiei said he was courting my sister, he wasn't joking!" Kuwabara said, just watching where they had departed from. He turned to Shuuichi, "If you need help, ask your stepbrother. We'll get together about seven tomorrow night, in the meantime, practice the kata that Hiei showed you. You'll be a lot more prepared than the four of us ever were. Save the two of them. Good night, Shiori-san, Hatanaka-san, Shuuichi! See ya Kurama, Keiko!"

Yukina bowed to them as she left. "Good night to you all. Tell my brother that I hope to hear good news when I see him next."

"We will, Yukina," Shiori replied with a smile, then impulsively went over and hugged the demoness. "I wasn't sure what to expect when Hiei told he he had a sister, but I know it wasn't you. If you need anything, please call."

"Thank you, Shiori-san." She hugged the woman back. She impulsively kissed Shiori on both cheeks. "Thank you for bringing my brother back to me."

Shiori returned the gesture. "I'm glad I did. Now, shoo!" Shiori was grinning broadly as she said this, seeing Genkai walking off, and Kuwabara waiting patiently for Yukina.

Yukina turned to look at Kazuma and hurried over to his side, wearing a broad grin. "Thanks again!"

Shiori looked around, the only one's left of the gathering were her family, save for Hiei, but he seemed to be needed elsewhere, and it didn't look like they were supposed to have any storms tonight. "Well, who's going to help with the dishes?" She asked as she looked around. "You three need to work on homework!" She gave a pointed look at Shuuichi, Keiko and Kurama. "I know a lot is going on, but we still need to work on the normal routine." She turned to Hatanaka, "Well, Anata? Want to help me rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher?"

Kazuya smiled, "Children, go look over anything you might have missed in class today, I'm going to help your mother here do the dishes." He sighed to himself as he thought, Not even a week ago, I didn't even believe in demons. Now, I know I have one for a stepson, as well as his friends. Ah, well. Such is life.

**********Hiei and Shizuru*****************

Shizuru had been in many situations, but this had to take the cake. Hiei was over a foot shorter than she was, and he was carrying her with ease. She only saw the scenery flash by in a blur and knew they were moving faster than most cars.

Hiei came to a halt at a particular clearing with a small lake in it, bordered by tall trees. He set her down by the shoreline. "I assume you would prefer to talk on the ground, rather than in a tree?"

Shizuru just looked at him. "You really are partial to trees, aren't you?"

Hiei just nodded. "You are not comfortable in them, yet, though. I am willing to wait. In the meantime, this is a good compromise." He motioned her to sit, while sitting on the shore himself.

Shizuru shrugged and sat next to the fire demon. "Look, I need to understand this whole mating situation. I'm watching Keiko like a hawk, and this is obviously frightening her."

Hiei nodded, "No one knew what to expect. He is an animal spirit. There are small enough differences that this will be different with her than it would be for you."

"You say different." Shizuru looked at Hiei, who was looking out over the water, watching the sun set. "What differences are there?"

Hiei studied the play of light on water. "You would not have the youko tendencies, such as what frightened Keiko this night. You would instead gain my two races tendencies, both of which are rather similar to some of the ningen tendencies. The fire side is more violent than ningens for the most part, but it is also tempered by the koorime side, which is cold to a fault. Both sides are only one step removed from the elementals of each, so both sides are very powerful." He tried to explain it, but he knew that he didn't do that good a job.

"Okay, so I wouldn't have to deal with the having to have sex all the time? Or that timidity? I'd just have to balance like you do?" Shizuru tried to gain some clarification.

Hiei nodded and turned his head, his eyes matching the color at the horizon. "That is a good word for it. I've never been at my best trying to explain anything in words."

"I think you're doing fine by me." Shizuru replied. "Always figured half of what was said with most people complete bullshit anyway. You don't speak unless you actually have something to say. You're also decisive and I don't have to ask you to pretend to be a man. It's a nice change."

Hiei raised his brow at her. He'd known she was disillusioned, but not quite how disillusioned she was. He watched as she lit up a cigarette. "Why do you do that?"

Shizuru took a puff, "What, smoke? I don't know. At first it just helped with the stress, especially when Dad passed away. Mom died giving birth to Kazu and Dad died when he was twelve. I was just old enough to start working and we slipped through the cracks in the system. Any younger and we would have gone to a relative, instead. My baby bro never did get over Dad's death."

"I never knew what caused half of his attatudes, nor did I truly care. All I knew was that he got on my nerves." Hiei told her. "So what was that comment that you made when you told him you wouldn't tell if he had his first beer?"

Shizuru laughed, then sobered up, saying. "Oh, I still go to their graves and tell them what's going on. I mean, having met Botan and the Toddler, even if he was a teen at the time, I can't believe they don't peek in on us from time to time. What about yours?"

Hiei looked away. "I can only hope. Reikai does not always judge demons well. Our code of conduct is different from a ningen's. The urge to destroy lies in every demon, the largest separation in the classes of demons is how dominant that urge is. The higher the level, the less the urge to destroy becomes. We start to find ourselves more interested in maintaining order for the most part, and protecting our own."

Shizuru looked over at Hiei. "Is that why you are so human?"

"Hn. Partly. The stronger you are, the harder it is to find challenges. It is also due to the detective's influence. His 'save the day superhero' attatude. I hated him when I first met him, and then was forced to work with him. I came to understand his attatudes and respected them." Hiei explained. This had been the most he'd ever explained to anyone, usually just leaving them to figure it out on their own, or remaining in their own ignorance.

Shizuru always knew there were depths to Hiei, but didn't think he'd share them this easily. She looked at Hiei in a new light. She had never known what drove most demons. "So at what level does the urge for violence dim, and order begin?"

Hiei looked back at Shizuru. She was asking some of the most intelligent questions that he'd ever heard about demons. "Somewhere during upper C-class, I think."

"One last question, and I promise no more general questions on demons. Why did the spectators outside of the Dark Tournament split when I yelled at them?" Shizuru asked.

Hiei raised his brow and then smiled at her, "You really don't know? You are just as powerful, if not slightly more so, than your brother." When Shizuru just gave him an incredulous look back, he nodded. "Yes, really. Your power level is upper A-class now, your brother's is a mere mid A-class."

Shizuru finally said, "No wonder Master Genkai wanted to teach me. I never had the motivation, or the time, to learn. It's never been my ambition to be strong, or tough. I'm just worn out."

Hiei nodded. "I used to feel that way as well. Only I was angry at the world as well."

"Then tell me, if you can, Hiei. What changed?" Shizuru had never known she could sit down and talk to Hiei like this.

"I'm not sure I can explain it." He replied. He laid back on the grass and watched as the first few stars came out. "I suppose the first to reach me was the kitsune. When he was just ten in this body, he beat me with ease, then treated my wounds instead of finishing me off. The second was the Detective, who trusted me after I'd sworn to kill him. Your brother judged me based on size and for that alone I disliked him."

"Yeah, my baby brother never has been one to gage people well. I'm not much better I'm afraid. Your aura was so dark and I could feel that dragon loose in the stadium. I will just say one thing, I think that was the first thing that ever scared me." Shizuru told him.

"I am sorry that I frightened you." Hiei looked over at her.

"Will you listen to what I am saying? It was not you, that's what I had to understand. I was unable to distinguish between you and that dragon!" Shizuru told him, mildly frustrated.

"I understand the difference, but the dragon is tied to me, permanently. It is my strongest attack."

"I understand that as well. However you are not the dragon. I have to accept both if I accept you. You don't scare me, anymore." Shizuru told him as she lay back to look at the stars with him. "I have never had anyone who wanted to look at the stars with me, besides Kazu. I had been courted, but dropped like a hot potato the minute anyone realized that I had a little brother who was my dependant. No one cared about my feelings before. Then I had the bad taste to fall for creepoid himself at the Dark Tournament."

Hiei reached over and took her hand, just holding it. "You mean the man Toguro fought for?"

Shizuru reached into her pocket and pulled out the lighter that he had given her. "Yeah. Just another case of Shizuru screwed up, again."

"Then why do you keep it?"

"I don't know, maybe just my little reminder that things that seem to good to be true usually are." Shizuru looked at Hiei. "I'm not perfect. I've had my fill of screw ups, loosers and just plain SOB's."

"I am not perfect either, Shizuru. You scratch my past lightly and I have been an assassin, a thief as well as others even worse. I fought my way to the position that I'm at now."

"Yeah, but that's in the past. You've reformed yourself, much like Kurama. And there's the difference between you and all the rest of the loosers out there." Shizuru looked at him. "You bring me peace. I've never known what peace was, Kazu was always getting in fights, trying to prove himself and I've had to fight to keep our house and Kazu. The state wanted to take Kazu away from me, but I fought long and hard to keep him." She paused and then asked, "Do you mind a personal question?"

"What did you want to ask me?" Hiei asked, not sure he wanted to know what this question was.

"How did you know your parents were mates?" Shizuru asked.

Hiei gave her hand a squeeze, "When you are a telepath, one can easily sense the bond between mates, especially when I felt my father die. My mother held on for two weeks, until my sister and I were born."

"I am sorry to have brought up such painful memories." Shizuru replied quietly.

"They are over five hundred years old, Shizuru, while still painful, they always will be. I have a perfect memory." Hiei replied, gently kissing her hand that he held.

"Sounds like a curse to me." Shizuru told him.

Hiei and Shizuru stayed long into the night, just talking and looking at the stars.

***********Yukina and Kazuma***************

Genkai looked at the two young people present with her. Hmph, give them all the opportunity in the world, and they still don't act on it! I sometimes wonder if either of them actually has a sex drive!

Yukina glanced at the woman whom she lived with and just blushed. She didn't understand some of the urges that were running through her, though she knew what they were. She had been brought up in a culture that was exceedingly reserved. In many ways she fit in perfectly with this woman, but then she'd just pop out with comments from no where and she'd wonder about Master Genkai.

Kuwabara knew that he could always declare his undying love, and it was the truth, but he honestly wasn't sure how to proceed. He also didn't want to do anything in front of Master Genkai.

Genkai just shook her head. "Children, why don't you go out and look at the stars or something? I'm going into the Temple and meditate." Maybe if I leave them alone, they'll at least talk through things. Yukina spoke up at the meeting, blushing, but still spoke up. That means that what she feels isn't fleeting. Kuwabara hasn't changed his feelings since he met her. Hopefully those two will have a happy ending. I seem obsessed with them lately. Probably my approaching death and I won't even be able to see him again. She sighed. This was going to be a long night, she could already tell.

Kuwabara stood and offered his hand to Yukina, who took it without hesitation. The two walked along outside until they came to the same field of flowers that Kuwabara had picked the bouquet from earlier.

"Would you like to sit here for a while, Kazuma? These flowers are so pretty." Yukina asked.

Kuwabara nodded. "Sure. But these flowers are not as beautiful as you are."

Yukina blushed. "Thank you. You are so sweet and kind."

It was Kuwabara's turn to blush. "Did you really mean what you said at the meeting? You're really thinking about mating with me?"

Yukina blushed brightly. The subject still embarrassed her terribly. "Yes." She whispered.

Kuwabara reached out and embraced her. He felt her arms timidly go around him as well. "How long?" He tilted her head back so that he could look into her big red eyes.

Looking into Kazuma's eyes and his dear face, she cupped his cheek. "I don't know when I honestly started thinking about it. I know I wanted to find my brother first, and now I know that he was always there, looking out for me. Along with you, whom I knew about and the team."

"The point is, you are thinking about it seriously now, though." He cupped her cheek in his palm. "So what should we do? I mean it doesn't seem right to just all of a sudden jump into that."

Yukina blushed, "You're right, until we can both at least talk about," Her voice fell as she blushed, "Mating, without doing anything, we have no business going further." She paused and Kuwabara could see that she wanted to ask something, so he just remained silent, waiting for her to speak. She asked in a very low voice, "Kazuma? Could you kiss me?"

Kuwabara didn't even dignify that with an audiable answer, just bending his head down to meet her lips with his. She had always seemed so virginal and untouchable to him that he almost couldn't believe the question coming out of her mouth. Her lips were colder than he thought they'd be, but at the core, there seemed to be a spark of heat. Their lips instinctively parted as they tentatively explored each other's mouths in an ackward first kiss.

Yukina pulled his down for another kiss, this one went much more smoothly as they caught each other's rhythm. Yukina knew instinctively that she had to raise her body temperature to match Kazuma's.

Kuwabara moaned into her mouth as he felt the temperature of her body rise through the layers of clothing.

Yukina moaned as she felt the urgency within Kazuma rise with the increase in her body temperature. In spite of what she had said just a few minutes ago, she knew she wanted to be claimed. Especially now that her brother had given them his blessing.

Kazuma wondered just where Yukina was going with this. Sure, he'd courted her for years, now but he wasn't sure he was ready for her to accept him quite so suddenly. Though from what she'd said, it didn't seem sudden at all. He suddenly felt like one of those characters that had the light bulb go off over his head. She had been waiting for her brother's blessing! He deepened the kiss, hoping she would stop him if this really wasn't what she wanted.

Yukina willingly kissed him back, moving her small hands over his clad chest. She had touched him before, but that was always as a healer. This was different, more vital. She hoped that he knew how to undo her obi, it was becoming kind of a lost art, but she didn't know how to dress in anything but the formal kimono and obi. It was all she had worn living on the glacier with the koorime.

Kazuma touched her as if she was made of glass. He knew she wasn't, but still, he didn't want to be too rough with her, either. He knew he wasn't as strong as the other guys on the team, but still, he was far stronger than most humans that he knew, as well as many demons.

Yukina loved the tenderness which he showed her, his large hands were being so careful with her. This night was going to be a turning point for her, and she knew it.

Kazuma pulled back, to ask her two questions which he needed to have answered before either of them went any further. "Yukina, are you sure about this?"

Yukina smiled up at him. "More than anything."

This answer brought him to question two. "Then shouldn't we move inside?"

"Please, Kazuma, claim me under the stars?" It was half request, and half question.

He figured it couldn't get more explicit than that. He nodded, having a suddenly dry throat. He cleared it and told her, "You're going to have to guide me in untying your obi, then."

Yukina smiled up at him. At least he had asked before completely tangling it up. His hands were twice the size of hers and could easily have tangled, if he didn't know the exact knot that she used. "I'll show you." She blushed as she said this, but she knew what she wanted. She moved her hands to the back, just touching the obi, "Cover my hands with yours, and follow my fingers." His hands completely covered hers and followed her fingers with his larger ones as she untied everything.

"Man, how do you do this every day?" Kazuma asked, not sure that he could do this all the time.

"Very easily when this is all you've ever worn for over five hundred years." Yukina replied.

Kazuma kept forgetting that Yukina was a demon. He just nodded and followed her movements when she unrolled the obi from around her waist.

Yukina left the rest for him to do as it was not that difficult. She wondered how hard his shirt would be to remove, when she felt his arms go around her shoulders, holding her up against him, this time with no thick padding around her midsection. She gasped in delight as she felt his warmth through the layers of cotton and silk. Her arms went around his neck, holding her more securely to him.

He wanted to go slowly with her, but he knew that he was completely unexperienced and guessed that she was as well. He was grateful that he had never skipped out on his sex ed class, even if it had been a complete embarrassement at the time. He kissed her, lowering her down among the flowers.

Yukina reached up with her small dextrous fingers, trying to figure out the button, when Kazuma's fingers suddenly covered hers and showed her how to undo the buttons, which she eagerly learned and applied to the remainder of the buttons on his shirt.

Kazuma quickly removed his shirt, thankful that it wasn't a cold night out. He quickly opened Yukina's kimono, releasing the remainder of the ties as they were done with simple bows. He looked on the perfection that was his soon to be mate, half embarrassed and half awed. Her creamy skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and he had never understood the phrase that he had heard other guys use before 'wanted her so much it hurt', until now. He reached out with a trembling hand, tracing a line down her throat, her breastbone and stopping at her own bellybutton. He'd always wondered, in his weirder moments, whether demons had bellybuttons like humans. He could now answer his question. He rested his palm on her stomach briefly, feeling her breath catch. He kissed her lips again, bringing his hand to her small, but firm breasts, touching them gently and feeling them swell slightly as he touched them.

Yukina moaned into his mouth, knowing that nothing could ever compare to this experience. She knew that she would come out of tonight pregnant, too. Koorime were one of the most fertile races in all of the Makai, it was just so restricted a society that few chose to have sex to begin with. Her hands went to his shoulders and glided down his back, toying with the band of his pants. She moved her hands around to the front, looking for the button. She was completely bared to him, she wanted to see all of him as well. She found a button which she undid quickly enough, but she wasn't sure what to do with the metal tab she found below the button.

Kazuma broke off their kiss and reluctantly stopped caressing her breasts. He moved a hand to cover hers once more, showing her how to grasp it and to pull it down, thus undoing the zipper. He got off of her briefly, finishing the process of getting undressed while she freed her arms from the sleeves of her kimono. She simply laid down on top of it, forming a kind of bed for her. He groaned as she looked at him and held her arms out while smiling shyly.

Yukina lightly blushed as she looked on the bare body of her soon to be mate. She felt the warmth pool between her legs as she held her arms out to him. She knew that it would hurt the first time, but was confident that he would be patient with her.

Kazuma wasn't sure just where he wanted to begin, everything about her was so perfect! He came back into the circle of her arms, both moaning at the feel of bare bodies pressed against each other for the first time. He held one hand on the ground so as to not crush her under his greater weight as well as using one hand to feel the softness of her skin, inching down towards those curls that were the same shade as her hair. He knew consciously what to find, but was unprepared for the reality of the soft, yet firm curls that yeilded to his fingers and the folds under them. He raised his head as she gave a moan, throwing her head back, eyes closed. He watched her as he explored her nether regions. The heat and wetness increased as he carefully touched her and finally dipped a finger in her, causing her to cry out.

Yukina could not believe the intensity of these feelings sweepting through her and he had only been using a finger! Her legs parted of their own accord, knees raising as she started meeting that finger. She needed more, much more! She moaned his name.

Kazuma carefully added a second finger, she seemed awefully tight somehow and he didn't want to cause undue pain, though he knew that some was inevitable. When he thought he could feel her loosening a bit, he withdrew his hand and replaced it with his manhood. He only hoped he didn't hurt her too much through his inexperience. He lowered his mouth to hers, capturing it in a deep kiss while he held her hip in a firm grip. He pulled his mouth back to say, "Yukina, please, forgive me for hurting you."

Yukina smiled up at him. "There is nothing to forgive, Kazuma. This is what I want."

Kazuma lowered his mouth to hers again and slowly pushed into her, feeling the tightness around him, both of them gasping. He felt the barrier and looked up at Yukina's eyes. She was still smiling, but he could see her eyes forming tears as well. He was kind of glad that he was so strong as he would have doubted his ability to break her barrier otherwise. He gathered his strength and broke through the barrier while seating himself to the hilt at the same time. He heard her cry of pain even as his body registered the extreme pleasure at being within her at last. He firmly held himself still as he reached up with a trembling hand, brushing away her tears, which were already forming gems and bent down, kissing her gently.

Yukina felt the pain disperse and her body had always healed quickly. She never dreamed that being with Kazuma could bring her so many wonderous feelings. She kissed him back, feeling the heat pool in her lower body once again. She experimentally moved her hips, testing to make sure the pain was gone and gasped as she felt something wonderous, swallowing his moan. She needed to ensure only one thing, and she hoped she had enough will power to do so, and that was to complete the Mating, not just their loving. She had the instinct, which was coming to the forefront, but Kazuma didn't.

He moaned as the most wonderful sensation washed over him. Feeling her heat, tightness and moisture around him was the most overwhelming thing he had ever felt before. "Oh, Yukina!" He broke his mouth away from hers, gaining a little leverage and slowly building up a rhythm, hoping that he could hold himself under control long enough for her to find completion first.

Yukina felt truly blessed as she felt the beginning stages of the most wonderful sensation sweep through her body. She knew instinctively it was her climax, and what she should feel. Her hands went up to his neck and shoulders, pulling him down and cried out as she bit into the junction of his neck, swallowing the blood as her youki burst out of her in time to her climax. She licked the spot, feeling his movements getting more frantic. With a force of muscle that she would not have believed possible at any other time, her legs gripped his hips, holding them completely motionless, buried deep within her. She pulled back her hair, baring her creamy throat, and pulling his mouth down to the appropriate spot. "You must bite me, Kazuma!"

Kazuma was frantic for his own release, but was struggling with his instinct to not hurt her. He bit down gently, hearing her cry out, "Please, Kazuma, you must break my skin!" He tried. Her legs loosened enough for one thrust, but her hands were still holding his mouth at the junction of her neck and shoulder. He closed his eyes and bit down with all his strength in his jaw, hearing her cry out as he tasted what could only be her blood flowing over his tongue. Her legs loosened around his hips, guiding him to his own completion. The blood was already slowing from it's first gushing when he felt his own loins twitching. He muffled his own shout of completion against her shoulder as he felt his own reiki burst from him into her. He rested for just a moment, as his body recovered from the most overwhelming experience of his young life. He pulled out, rolling them over, so that he was not crushing her and they just lay there, trying to regain their breath.

Yukina cuddled into his chest, just taking comfort from his nearness. "Thank you, Kazuma, for mating with me."

Kazuma reached down, lifting her head slightly so he could look into her adorable face. "I should be the one saying that to you. Sorry for making you cry."

Yukina smiled up at him luminously. "Don't be. They were my mating tears! I'll turn them into a necklace later, for my mate."

To be continued . . .